Nicole Farhi didn't exactly make a fuss over the fact that today's show marked the 30th anniversary of her brand. Sure, there was some confetti on the clothes, but in general Farhi saw fit to inaugurate her fourth decade in business by doing exactly what she's been doing for much of the past three. To wit, the new Farhi collection was a typically accomplished affair, rich in accessible, adult clothes made from luxe, technically innovative materials. Why rock the boat?

Farhi's theme this time out was turn-of-the-century Vienna and the French Art Nouveau, and that translated into a mood of dour glamour. There was an overcast palette of white, dirty-white, smoke, and almost-black gray, a mannish slouch to the knits and the tailoring, and an emphasis on high necks that gave the collection a particularly covered-up mien. There was even something subdued about Farhi's Klimt-influenced fugue of metallics: The metal sequins she used were matte, and had a mineral feeling; a gorgeous bronze jacquard had a mottled look, like a fading penny. Elsewhere, Farhi tamped down the metals by asserting a geometric discipline, as in a paneled party dress, or tossing on an oversize knit. The confetti skirts had pop, though.